This invention relates to cathodes for lithium batteries.
Batteries are commonly used electrical energy sources. A battery contains a negative electrode, typically called the anode, and a positive electrode, typically called the cathode. The anode contains an active material that can be oxidized; the cathode contains or consumes an active material that can be reduced. The anode active material is capable of reducing the cathode active material.
When a battery is used as an electrical energy source in a device, electrical contact is made to the anode and the cathode, allowing electrons to flow through the device and permitting the respective oxidation and reduction reactions to occur to provide electrical power. An electrolyte in contact with the anode and the cathode contains ions that flow through the separator between the electrodes to maintain charge balance throughout the battery during discharge.
The cathode of the battery can be prepared by applying a slurry containing an active material to a substrate, which can serve as the current collector for the cathode. It is desirable to coat the substrate uniformly, because a uniform coating thickness can promote good battery performance. Certain extrusion processes offer good control of the coating thickness, but cannot be used when the slurry contains materials that fibrillate, and thus become rigid, during the extrusion process.